Letter: Oxford: to bypass or not to bypass
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Sir William Hayter (Letters, 28 June) asks 'Can it be that the road- construction industry has some unhealthy influence on the Department of Transport? Or even the Conservative Party?'; and he contrasts dearth of investment in railways with lavish expenditure on roads.
While the department imposes by stealth an east-west 'strategic' road upon the Oxford green belt, the same body has permitted the mothballing of the railway between Bicester and Bletchley. The line should have been developed long ago as part of a 'strategic' route for passenger and freight traffic, but there is now a danger that the track will be lifted, because the Treasury and the department are simply not interested in the application to rail of equitable track and infrastructure costings.
The road lobby does indeed have unhealthy influence on the Conservative Party - from the top down. Recently the Prime Minister asserted that British Rail is 'deeply inefficient'. Yet the truth is that international comparisons prove our railways, starved of investment though they are, to be the most cost-effective in Europe (and therefore least deserving of privatisation). Could it be, rather, that at Westminster and in Whitehall there are persons in power who are deeply incompetent?
Yours faithfully,
GEORGE HUXLEY
Church Enstone, Oxfordshire
28 June
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments